After The Castle
by GoddessofSnark
Summary: I'm reworking it, it'll take some time, but until then, here it is. The Sequel to Josiecat's Every World's a Stage, and it deals with Riff and Mags after the castle
1. We've got to hold on

Ok, I really did not like where this was headed...so I took it down, and am reworking it, part by part. This part has few, if any noticeable changes...but I'm completely redoing parts two and three. Completely redoing them. But this IS still a sequel to Every World's a Stage, a wonderful fic by Josiecat, do read it, it might clear a few things up in this. **  
  
He trudged up the small flight of stairs to the third floor, and moved down the hallway to his apartment. He turned the knob and smiled when it opened. She was home. As he slipped quietly inside he was greeted with a delicious odor. He slunk to the kitchen, and found her there, absentmindedly stirring a pot. He waited silently until she put the spoon down and wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
She jumped in surprise but then, realizing who's hands it was around her waist, she softened. She turned his arms and smiled at him. "Hello." She said, grinning at him. he smiled back, and kissed her quickly and gently in response to her greeting.  
  
"Dinner?" he asked, his eyes moving away from his face to the large pot that stood cooking. She nodded. "Smells wonderful" He said, running his hands through her soft red curls. She grinned again.  
  
"Well, it's not ready yet, so go sit down and relax." He gave her another quick kiss before following her advice. She'd made everything worthwhile. If it wasn't for her, he'd be rotting in jail or dead right now. It was because of her that he was here. She was his saving grace. And he loved her for it.  
  
Not that he didn't love her for all the other wonderful things about her. But this was another wonderful thing about her. One of quite a few. He sat down in the large overstuffed chair that sat in the corner. His chair. His respite after a long day at his insufferable job. No, he shouldn't call it that. The suffering that he had to go through, when he had served for the royal family back on Transexual. Especially when DeLordy would interrupt.  
  
At least it wasn't that demanding. Brad had proven himself useful for once, and had pulled some strings at a local shipping company to get him a job. And now he had a steady 9-5 job, and he could look forward to coming home every night.  
  
They'd settled into their new life very well. They both missed Transylvania, but it hadn't taken them long to realize that they weren't going back. Instead, they were making the most of their time here. Brad and Janet had wound up being rather nice to them, and had provided a good cover for them, telling people that they were friends of theirs from Europe. And the gullible citizens of the small town believed them.  
  
He sighed slightly, and stared into space as he thought of all that had happened in the past six months. They had certainly been hectic, that was for sure. Starting with the plotting of the coup to overthrow Frank and Adriana, right up until that moment, time had seemed to fast forward through the whirlwind of events.  
  
The planned coup had blown up in their faces, and they had found themselves in a rather tight situation. Either stay on Earth, together, forever, or go back to Transylvania, and face separation and death. He had opted for death, until she reminded him that they'd probably never see each other again. The thought was more than he could bear.  
  
So, here they were, six months later, in their own apartment, settling into a nice new life on Earth. And he surprisingly, found it to be rather nice. They fit in, amazingly. The only people who knew their secret were Brad and Janet. And they'd almost forgotten about it. Almost.  
  
Magenta-no he had to stop calling her that. Maggie. That was her name now. But they avoided using first names whenever they could afraid that things would slip. Instead, they opted for pet names, which made them seem all the more a loving couple. Another twosome in the so called "American Dream." Maggie-there we go, came out and told him that dinner was ready.  
  
He moved into the kitchen, feeling rather more relaxed now that he'd had a bit of time to sit and think, and sat down. The meal, like all of her other ones, was delicious, and he found himself looking at her more than usual over the course of the meal. Perhaps it was his thoughtful mood, or perhaps it was because he was feeling better than he had in a while, but she seemed even more beautiful than usual.  
  
After dinner, he jumped up to clean the dishes, giving her the same chance to relax that she had given him before dinner. She found herself sitting in the matching chair, across the way from his. She idly watched him cleaning off the plates, his thin form making it's way across the kitchen.  
  
He'd seemed so much calmer today. He must have had a good day at work, she thought. One of the few. He was usually short tempered and haggard after work. After all, he had a long day of moving boxes around. He had been strong after all his years working at the castle, but he wasn't a bodybuilder, not by far.  
  
She winced at the thought of the castle. She missed the place, she even missed cleaning it, after all, it was a beautiful place. But she'd given up a thousand castles to be with him. That's how she thought of him now. As him, rather than Riff or Richard. As him, or honey, or sweetheart, or whatever other name she called him. But she could barely stand to call him Richard.  
  
It reminded her of Frank and Adriana, and what they'd been reduced to. Now Transylvania was being ruled by the two people that she'd rather not see ruling her beloved planet. But she had no control over it any more. She was here, on earth, with him, and they were back on Transsexual, with each other, ruling. This was perhaps, the one spot where she and he differed.  
  
He had openly been against staying on Earth, and hated it in the beginning, but now he'd adjusted. She was the one who suggested it, and, on the outside she loved it, but inside she hated almost every minute of it. She knew that she should thank Frank for allowing them the choice, but she hated him for everything that he'd done. She didn't even notice when she felt his thin hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Put it behind you." He said. He'd always been able to almost read her thoughts. He could sense what she was about to say most of the time. Perhaps it was from the strong bonds they shared, perhaps it was just a talent that he had, but whatever the case, he had always been good at comforting her.  
  
She sighed, and leaned back into him, turning slightly, so that her legs were draped over the arm of the chair, and she was staring up at him from her deep brown eyes. He leaned down and kissed her. It seemed that staying on Earth had pulled them closer together, had made them fall even more deeply in love. Or maybe it just because that if it wasn't for the other they'd both be in jail, but either reason, they were definitely one of the more loving couples in Denton, rivaling even Brad and Janet themselves. 


	2. To What We've Got

A/N this is a slow going WIP, I have no clue WHERE it's going, to tell you the truth, but this is a bit of a pet project, one that I'm scrutinizing every part of, instead of my usual, write it up, spell check and spit it out approach. This one I'm aiming for perfection for, so don't expect the next part for a while, instead savor this one! And anything that you recoginize isn't mine, and again, I have to thank Josiecat for giving me permission to continue her wonderful fic!  
  
******  
  
He set another box down on top of the two that already resode on the pushcart. His back was beginning to ache, as it did almost every day. True, he had some strength, he had always been quite strong, and hauling around all his lab equipment hadn't hurt either. But still, he wasn't used to having to move heavy boxes around all day.  
  
But it paid well. And he knew that he needed all the money he could get. They were well off, to say the least, but the thought of money always weighed very heavily in his mind. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of an emergency coming up, or perhaps it was just his distrust in everything, but he always seemed to put more money in the bank than was necessary.  
  
Finally the last minute ticked off the clock, and the rest of the workers swarmed, en masse, to the exit. As he walked out, he found himself staring up at the blue sky, with flecks of fluffy, white clouds scattered about. Just over the horizon, he could see the sun beginning to dip below the tree line, starting to bathe the western side of town in it's goldenrod glow.  
  
Every night he'd look up at that same sky, by now he'd already memorized the constellations, and every night, he'd reflect on what had happened. He could see the pale reflection of the moon, half hidden by clouds, biding it's time until the sun would set, and it would no longer have to compete to be the brightest object in the sky.  
  
He drove home, the radio playing soft jazzy tunes. She was there, as always. She would always be there, waiting for him, every day. Always be waiting with a welcoming hello, and a dinner halfway done. Always be waiting to try and work the tension out of the knotted muscles in his back. He always was tense. Always had been, probably always would be.  
  
Even when he hadn't been reduced to physical labor, he still was tense. Even when he hadn't been doing an experiment, he always seemed to be worked up about something. But his tension was what got him through. He thrived off his stress. He scarcely ever seemed to fatigue. And it had proven an invaluable trait.  
  
Ever since they had come to this planet, it seemed that he never slept. He just kept going, scribbling notes about this, that, or the other thing, plotting the coup, ordering around the servants. If he had one major downfall, it was his pride. He was too proud for his own good.  
  
He may have had a high standing with the royal family, but he held himself a cut above the rest. He acted like he was above even the royal family, above Adrianna. And when he tried to actually rise higher than Adrianna, he realized just what he had done wrong. Just where his hubris had failed him.  
  
He had thus since lost some of that pride, but he still felt like he deserved to be doing more than what he was. He had been reduced to nothing more than a slave. Someone to do menial labor, when no other help was available. True, he had heard through the mill that he was in line for a promotion, but it still was not worth the blows that this job was dealing to his ego.  
  
She had always tried to knock down his ego, as gently as she could. She knew it would eventually be what did him in. and so far, she was right. But she held him in such high regard, and was almost frightened of him, so much so, that she was afraid to do more than chide him on his delusions of grandeur.  
  
She knew that they had brought this life upon themselves, that it had been their choice to lead the coup, that they were the ones that had almost killed Frank and Adrianna. But she refused to accept it. Where he had his pride, she had her fantasies.  
  
She missed Transylvania so much that it hurt. It was the same sort of ache that you feel after you lose a loved one. Where it feels as if your heart is going to disintergrate, and break like a crushed potato chip. It hurt her almost as much to think of her beloved planet as it hurt for her to think of a life without him.  
  
At least she had him. she was thankful for that. There would have been no point of living, even on Transexual, without him. he was her life. Her everything. She would give her life willing for him, and she knew that he would do the same. She loved Adrianna for giving them the choice of life together, but yet she loathed her for forcing them away from their planet.  
  
Oh, if only she could find a way to get back to Transylvainia, not even Transexual, but just a familiar planet, just somewhere that she could look on to the familiar shores, hear the soothing sounds of the waves. The waves, with their intoxicating lullaby. The gentle sound of the water lapping against the shore. It was a moment like this, when she thought of it, that she could hear the sounds of the planet.  
  
He sensed where her thoughts were heading, and gently spun around in her arms. He stared deeply into her eyes, and gave her a meek smile. She smiled back, and he pulled her into a tight embrace. He sniffed the air slightly, and pulled back. "I didn't know you were making a flambé." He said. She gave him a strange look.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, if it wasn't supposed to be, it certainly is now." He said, with a playful light in his eyes. She looked over to the kitchen, and then ran over, lowering the flame on the stove. He walked in behind her, laughing. She hit him playfully with her oven mitt. He always knew just what to do to cheer her up.  
  
He always could say just the right thing, in just the right tone, to make her laugh. He swept her up off of her feet, and after she protested, he finally let her down. Anyone looking in would have never guessed how sad her thoughts had just been. They only would have seen two happy, loving people. 


	3. It doesn't make a difference

A/N I started this part right after here on the East we got hit with a big snowstorm (We got more snow in that storm then all of last winter!) but anyways, I'm now in a big holiday mood, and so, it's holiday sap! But do enjoy, I haven't quite found a SET path for this fic, I have an IDEA for where it's going to go. But enjoy!  
  
The snow fell gently, covering the town in a veil of white. She stood at the window, watch as the town gently slowed down to a halt. She waited to see that familiar glint of silver, and when she did, she would finally be relived. It was the first real snow of the season, and she was afraid of how the car would handle.  
  
In the ice that had preceeded the snow, the car had shown to not do very well. It had a bad habit of fishtailing, and she was constantly afraid of him spinning out and getting hurt. But every day he came home despite the ice, and every day she was there to meet him.  
  
She laughed as she watched him battle the wind. As he clutched his coat together, and his hat to his almost bald head, he made his way across the parking lot. In the short bit of time that it took him to get across the parking lot, and up the open flight of stairs to their apartment, he wound up covered in snow.  
  
As she took his coat from him, attempting to get the least amount of snow on the carpet as possible, he took off his boots and collapsed into his chair. When she came back out, she found he had put on a kettle for tea. "Cold?" she asked him.  
  
"Cold!?" he exclaimed. "I'm-what is it, Frosty the bloody Snowman!" she laughed. Even he seemed to slightly be getting into the holiday spirit, even if he had scarcely a clue about what the holidays were even about, he found that the whole town's merriness could, even just barely, outdo his scrooge persona.  
  
Although he found great fun in making fun of the residents of Denton's gusto for the holidays. He remembered a night not to long ago when they went on the "tacky holiday drive-by tour" After all, it was the week before Christmas, and Hanukkah was just winding down, so there was no one in the entire town who didn't have a huge Santa Clause out on there front yard, had a brightly lit menorah in the window.  
  
And it also meant that the huge tree in the middle of the town had been just as brightly lit as the one at the Rockefeller Center in New York. He found the decorations fun to look at, although he'd never decorate unless he was forced to. It seemed like an awfully large amount of work for at most, three weeks.  
  
As the kettle shrieked that it was done, and as they sat down, they couldn't help but feel cheery as the holidays approached. It seemed as if all the mirth in The Home Of Happiness was spreading it's joyfulness even into their house, even into Richard, or Riff, or whatever anyone would call him.  
  
After all, a name is just a name, and once you lost that name, you uncovered a man, a man deeply in love, a man contented with the way his life was turning around, even if it wasn't going in the exact direction he wished. He had all but gotten past Transexual. And if he had the chance, it would be a tough choice to decide.  
  
He missed his planet quite dearly, missed the serene calm of the ocean, missed the familiar dark streets, but he was happy here. If they were back on Transexual, they wouldn't be together. And he loved her too much to risk her for a day or two on the beach.  
  
He was happy here, for once he felt as if he fit in. he never quite fit in back on Transexual, whether it be from his high rank as Court Scientist, or his extreme knowledge that had gotten him that job, but no one but his sister seemed to want to go behind the normal pleasantries of conversation when talking to him.  
  
But here, there were only two other people who knew of who he had been before he had been forced to start a life anew. Well, two people that he knew of. But he wasn't going to let the thought of how many people just might know who he was going to spoil their private holiday party. Even if it wasn't a party, they had left the table, and had thus since moved on to things that were most defiantly "private." 


End file.
